This wine is the first experience I consciously had of a Jura wine and it sparked an interest that encouraged me to seek out more. Little did I know that I would come to study Jura and its wines and appreciate that, whilst this is still a less well known wine region (although that is fast changing), it is in fact a region with a long viticultural history (records as far back as 79 AD) and has been the birth place of some of the greatest contributors to viticulture and winemaking. Louis Pasteur, the famous chemist born in Dole in the Jura, discovered that yeast was the microbe responsible for alcoholic fermentation. And Alexis Millardet, a Jura born botanist, created the ‘Bordeaux Mixture’ used to combat mildew and he and another pioneered the grafting of French vines onto American rootstock to protect against phylloxera.
Jura is a mountainous region east of Burgundy and west of Switzerland. Its vineyards are found in the foothills of the plateaux of the Jura mountains and on the slopes of the small limestone hills common in the region. Its soils are 80% clay and 20% limestone, the exact opposite of the soils of the Cote d’Or across the Bresse plain. The climate is semi-continental with very cold winters and sometimes very warm summers, although it has a good diurnal range meaning that nights tend to be cool (great for maintaining acidity levels) even in very warm summers.
There are five authorised grape varieties in Jura: Chardonnay (W), Savagnin (W), Poulsard (R), Pinot Noir (R) and Trousseau (R) (which is genetically identical to Portugal’s Bastardo grape). Savagnin is the grape of Jura’s famous ‘Vin Jaune‘ (yellow wine), high in acidity making it ideal for this long aged and long lived wine. Jura has 6 AOCs. The Arbois AOC is the largest both in terms of volume of wine produced and acreage. All five grape varieties are grown here and all styles of wine are produced. In contrast, the Chateau-Chalon AOC name can only be used for wines made as Vin Jaune. Any other wine (whether it be different grape variety or style) must be bottles as Cotes du Jura. L’Etoile AOC can only be produced as a white wine and Chardonnay is the most planted grape in this region. Cotes du Jura AOC is the second largest appellation and although all grape varieties and styles of wine are permitted, white wine and Cremant are the predominant styles of this area. Cremant du Jura AOC needs little stylistic explanation although the appellation rules require that the cuvee must consist of at least 70% Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Trousseau. In reality much of the Cremant produced is 100% Chardonnay. Finally, Macvin du Jura AOC is the sixth AOC which governs the production of fortified grape must. All five grape varieties are permitted and regulations require that it is aged in cask for a minimum of 10 months and must have an alcohol level of 16 – 20 % by volume. The Marc (the spirit used to fortify the grape must) has to have been barrel aged before it can be used for fortification.
Traditionally, white wines made in Jura were oxidative in style (like the vin jaune). This method is known as sous voile or under flor / with ullage. Wines made in this way undergo ‘controlled oxidation’ by leaving some air in the barrel (ie not filling it right up) and allowing a flor like surface yeast to develop which is semi-permeable and allows some oxidation to occur (ageing under flor is the same process that is utilised in biological sherry production). In contrast, some wine labels say the wine has been made ouille (there should be an acute accent over the ‘e’) which means without ullage. In other words the barrel is kept topped up to minimise oxygen exposure. Chardonnay is usually aged in this manner but Savagnin less so which is why the term is mentioned on the bottle to illustrate that it has not been made in the traditional oxidative style.
Red wines are a mixture of single varietal wines or blends. Stylistically they are usually designed for early drinking, light coloured, high acid and low tannins. Some Poulsard wines undergo semi-carbonic maceration and a few Trousseau and Pinot Noir reds are aged in oak barrels, more typical of the Burgundian style of winemaking.
A final mention should go to Vin de Paille, otherwise known as straw wine. The grapes are picked at the beginning of the harvest and and dried for at least six weeks, sometimes hung from rafters but traditionally laid out on beds of straw, the aim of the drying being to concentrate flavours and sugar compounds. The dehydrated grapes are then pressed, fermentation is slow and dryness is not achieved. The resulting wine is naturally sweet with alcohol levels of 14 – 15 ABV. It is then aged for 18 months, developing flavours of prune, honey and caramel. This wine cannot be released until 3 years after the vintage and is always sold in half bottles.